Dress and suit folder



Feb. 9 1926.

B. CAHN DRESS AND SUIT FOLDER Filed Sept. 17, 1925 IN V EN TOR. Bernard Cahn w III mm. ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DRESS AND SUIT FOLDER.

Application filed September 17, 19-23. Serial No. 663,214.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, BERNARD CAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, county of Sacramento, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dress and Suit Folders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tOtllQ accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in garment wrapping or folding devic s used in connection with the wrapping of both mens and womens garments for delivery to the customer from the store in which they are sold, or from a cleaning establishment.

The present invention particularly represents an improvement over the folding device shown in my U. S. Pat nt No. 1,518,- 304, dated December 9th, 1924. My main objects now are to provide a device for the purpose which is fundamentally the same, and is operated on the same principle, as the original folder, but which is so con structed that wrapping boards of different widths may be handled in the one folder; the engagmcntof the wrapping board with the folder clips is made much easier for the operator; the wrapping board is made so as to support, two-piece suits, mens or womens, as well as one-piece dresses, and the board structure itself is more substantial and will stand more wear and tear than the original design.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: r

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my improved garment folder with a wrapping board mounted thereon in position ready for the initial folding or wrapping operation.

Fig. 2 is a detached view of one of the. board-holding clips.

Fig. 3 is an outer end view of one of the folder-posts showing the pawl and ratchet mechanism associated with one of the board-holding clips.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the wrapping board structure.

F 1g. 5 is a p-rspective view of an ordinary suit box showing a wrapped garment therein mounted on my improved Projectingup from the base at one end and rigidly secured thereto is a post 3, while a similar post 4: projects upwardly from the opposite end of the base. This latter post however is mounted on a plate 5 slidably mounted for movement to and from the fixed post in a guide member 6 mounted on the base. The plate 5 is held in any desired position in the guide by means of a threaded pin 7 in the latter passing through ,a longitudinal slot 8 -in the plate, the pin havinga wing or similar nut 9' thereon.

Turnably mounted in the post 3 and projecting toward the post 4 is a pin 10 on the end of which nearest said post 4E is fixed a channel shaped clip 11 set at right angles to its pin, and facing the post 4.

On the outer end of the pin is a ratchet wheel 12' engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 13, arranged to allow rotationof the pin in one direction only, unless said pawl is re leased fromthe wheel.

'llurnably and slidably mounted in the post a; is ashaft 1 in alinement with the pin 1.0.

Onthe inner end ofthis shaft is a clip 15, disposed similarly to the clip ll of similar shape but substantially double the width thereof. Flat tongues 16 projectoutwardly of the clip beyond the open face thereof and are located centrally of the width of the clip. These tongues divide the clips into two sections, each as wide as the clip 11, the purpose of this construction being set forth hereinafter.

The outer end of the shaft 14; has a knob 17 thereon, whereby to pull the shaft and its clip away from the other clip, while a compression spring 18 is about the said shaft between the clip .15 and the post, acting to force said clip toward the clip 11.

Adapted to be removably held by and, he-

tween the clips is a wrapping or folding board 19, of any suitable light yet rigid material, such as straw or cardboard.

This board is of a size suitable for its purpose, which is to fold or wrap a garment thereon, the size of the supporting structure being such that the distance between the posts 3 and 1 is greater than the width of a board, while the distance from the clips to the base is somewhat greater than half the height or length of any board.

The side edges of the board, centrally between the top and bottom thereof are slotted or out out as at 20 to receive the clips, and prevent longitudinal slippage of the board therein without depending on the force of the spring 18.

The opposite end edges of the board are inset from the corners for the greater portion of their width so as to leave corner projections 21.

A short distance from one of said edges a horizontal and centrally located metal sleeve 22 in which is turnably mounted a light rod 23, which beyond said sleeve is bent at right angles thereto, or in a plane parallel to the side edges of the board, the lower end of the rod being turnably mounted in a sleeve 24 extending in a plane at right angles to the sleeve 22'and mounted on a flat hanger 25, of the same material as the board 19, and provided with a transverse slot 26 of sufficient length to receive the upper end of a skirt, or the lower extremities of a pair of trousers, therethrough.

The sleeves 22 and 24 are each made of a single piece of tin or similar metal, bent at the middle to form a loop to receive the rod, the ends of the metal piece being then inserted through a narrow slit in the board or hanger until the sleeve abuts against the outer face of the member in which it is mounted, when the said ends are bent away from each other to lie flush against the supporting part. In this manner a very substantial securing of the hangeronto the board is had, with but very little material and work being necessary,and a .very considerable effort would be necessary to pull either sleeve out of place.

Above the sleeve thereon, the board is pro vided with a loop 27 of string or the like so that the board, with the hanger depending therefrom in a proper position, may be hung up in a closet or the like if desired, so that it may be used as a permanent suit or dress hanger in the home. I

In operation the post 4. is first set relative to the post 3 to accommodate whatever sized board is being used, which in turn depends on the size of garment to be folded and the suit box into which it is to be placed.

The board is then taken up by the oper,- ator, with the hanger facing outwardly, and

manipulated so that the clip 11 first enters its slot 20 in the board. The knob 17 is then pulled out, and turned either way, until the board rests on the tongues 16 on either side thereof. This steadies and supports the adjacent surface of the board so that it may then be easily moved until the slot 20 on that side is in alinement with the clip 15, which is then allowed to enter the slot and engage the board by releasing the knob 17 By having the clip 15 made with double grooves, said clip need never be turned more than half way to bring one of the grooves into alinement with the board, and the supporting tongues are always behind or at the back of a groove, as they must beto serve any useful purpose. This arrangement facilitates and speeds up operations.

This operation done, the board is set at an angle convenient to the wrapping clerk, and so that the lower edge of the board projects toward the clerk and outwardly beyond the adjacent edges of the counter on which the device is mounted, thus allowing a garment, when first mounted on the board, to hang free, so that the folds or pleats of the garment assume a natural position. The pawl and ratchet mechanism is disposed, as in the previous device, so that the lower end, of the board can only be raised by a movement thereof toward the operator.

The garment 28 to be folded is then hung on the member 25, with the sleeves facing outwardly. If the garment is a one-piece dress, the slot 26 is not used. If, however, a coat-and-skirt dress, or a mans suit, is to be folded, the skirt or trousers are hung through the slot, the coat being mounted as in the case of a one-piece garment.

The sleeves of the garment or coat are then suit-ably folded over, and while holding them in place, the operator draws the garment and the hanger, away from the board sufficiently to enable the garment to be reversed so that the sleeves rest against the board, where, owing to the pressure of the dress proper against the board, they will remain in their folded position without any tendency to unfold.

hen drawing the hanger out from the board, the hanger rod 23 turns on the sleeve 22. lVhen reversing the garment and hanger, the latter then turns on the sleeve 24:, the rod 23 remaining stationary.

That portion of the garment depending below the board is then adjusted so as to lie completely between the adjacent board projections 21, and the board is then rotated in the only direction possible, as above stated, until the garment is completely wrapped lengthwise on the board, always keeping the goods inside the projections 21.

The board, with the wrapped garment, is

then removed from the holding clips by pulling out the knob 17, and then placed in an ordinary suit box 29. Owing to the fact that the garment is wound on the board as on a spool, neither the side edges nor the folds of the garments can touch the sides of the box, and the garment will always be in perfect condition when delivered to the customer and removed from the box.

In wrapping a garment with my improved device, the use of tissue paper in which to wrap a ladys dress, heretofore deemed necessary is no longer required.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the object of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a support including spaced posts, of a fixed turnable clip on one post, and a turnable clip on the other post longitudinally movable in alinement with the first clip, said turnable clip being formed as a channel one side of which projects outwardly of the other side to support and guide objects into the channel.

2. A garment folding device including opposed and turnable clips adapted for engagement with the opposite edges of a wrapping board, one of said clips being longitudinally movable with respect to the other clip, said longitudinally movable clip having a groove into which the adjacent edge of the board is adapted to fit, and means arranged in connection with said groove whereby the board is initially supported and guided toward the same as the clip is moved toward the board.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BERNARD CA HN. 

